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Roasted Turkey with Herb Butter | www.oliviascuisine.com | Looking for a good turkey recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas? Look no further! This turkey is roasted with a parsley, lemon and garlic butter and covered in bacon (during roasting time) for amazing flavor and juiciness!

Roasted Turkey with Herb Butter

Servings: 10
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
author: Olivia's Cuisine
5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients  

  • 1 12-14lbs turkey, giblets removed
  • 1 large onion, peeled and halved
  • 1 garlic head, halved horizontally
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 5 bay leaves
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Olive oil to drizzle
  • 8 slices bacon

Herb butter:

  • 3 sticks of unsalted butter, 1 1/2 cups, softened
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped parsley
  • Zest and juice of 2 lemons
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Turkey Pan Gravy:

  • 1/2 cup pan juices
  • 6 tablespoons flour
  • 2/3 cups white wine
  • 3 cups chicken, or turkey broth

Instructions 

Making the Herb Butter:

  • Prepare butter by combining all the herb butter ingredients in a small bowl, mixing well with a fork. Reserve.

Preparing the turkey:

  • Preheat oven to 450F degrees.
  • From one end of the breast, insert your fingers under the skin and gradually loosen it, working from both sides where able. Do the same for the legs. Be careful not to tear the skin.
  • Insert half of the butter mix into the open space under the skin. Spread it evenly by working from the outside of the turkey, gently massaging around the breast and legs.
  • Season the turkey cavity generously with salt and pepper. Insert the onion halves, garlic head halves, lemon halves and bay leaves in the cavity and then tie the legs with twine.
  • Transfer the turkey to a large roasting pan, breast side up.
  • Add the remaining butter to the outside of the skin, spreading all over. Finish by seasoning with salt and pepper and drizzling with olive oil.
  • Roast the turkey in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Take the roasting pan out of the oven and baste the turkey with the pan juices. Then, lay the bacon slices all over the breast, overlapping them slightly.
  • Baste one more time and return to the oven, lowering the temperature to 350F degrees.
  • Roast for 2 hours (or calculate 30 minutes for every 2 pounds), basting every 30 minutes, until the turkey is cooked (a meat thermometer should read 160 degrees or the juices between the thigh and breast meat should run clear when you make an incision with a knife or skewer) .
  • (When you baste for the last time, remove the bacon slices so the breast skin can brown.)
  • Let the turkey rest in a warm place for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the gravy.

Turkey Pan Gravy:

  • In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the 1/2 cup of pan juices and the flour. Whisk constantly for 2 minutes or until golden.
  • Increase the heat to medium high. Slowly add the wine and the broth, whisking until gravy has thickened to the desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
  • Serve the turkey with the piping hot gravy!
  • Happy holidays! :)

Notes

Since oven temperatures vary, make sure you start checking your turkey about 30 minutes before the calculated roasting time. Then, roast for another 15 minutes and check again. Repeat until turkey is cooked!
Author: Olivia's Cuisine